


Let Me Be Your Strength

by Apharine



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Gossip, Hurt/Comfort, News Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apharine/pseuds/Apharine
Summary: Everything is going well for Juliet and Leon - they've overcome incredible trials together, even Eternatus and Rose, and have stood strong through it all.  Recently, they've even gone public with their relationship - but when the media begins to dig up dirt on Juliet, Leon knows it's up to him to be the strong one for Juliet's sake.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Original Character(s), Dande | Leon/Original Female Character(s), Dande | Leon/Original Pokemon Trainer(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Let Me Be Your Strength

**Author's Note:**

  * For [carefreejules](https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefreejules/gifts).



> This fic is for my friend, Jules, who went through a hard time recently! She's an absolutely wonderful creator and is so incredibly talented in so many ways, and it broke my heart to see what she had to put up with. So this is for her <3
> 
> Juliet is Jules' OC and is used here with permission! If you're not already familiar with Juliet, please go follow Jules at @pigeonsenpai on Twitter or check out her Ao3, CarefreeJules, where her story can be found!

Quiet evenings have been somewhat of a rarity for Juliet lately; after all, nothing has truly been quiet for her in the wake of going public with her relationship with Leon. The media furor had been enormous, which she had fully expected. How could it be anything but? She had, after all, been relatively well-known to start with. But then, she’d called upon the strongest Trainers across the world to help save Galar from Eternatus - and, ultimately, from Leon himself, when he had been under Rose’s influence as Absolute King. Everything Juliet had done since then had been hyper-publicized, and it seemed only natural for the revelation that the two of them were dating to become the hot topic of the month - if not the entire year.

So when Juliet has an evening off to actually spend with Leon, she’s more than a little excited. No interviews. No traveling. No calls from managers in the Pokemon League trying to coordinate some promotional material with one of them - or even both of them.

Just her boyfriend, herself, and the absolutely amazing curry they’ve been letting simmer on the stove as they spiced it up.

“You wanna taste test it?” Leon asks, picking up a fresh, metal spoon and dipping it into the pot.

“Yes!” Juliet beams. Leon smiles and beckons her over with one outstretched arm; she sidles up to him, pressing her smaller body to his larger, well-muscled frame, and with a quiet laugh, Leon brings the spoon to her mouth. Juliet takes a careful bite, aware that it had just come off the burner and would be very hot - then tastes the food and swallows carefully. “It’s really good,” she smiles. “Though….I think it could use just a pinch more of those Sitrus Berry flakes. Just for a bit of a stronger flavor base, you know?”

“Oh?” Leon asks, moving the spoon out of the way. “Let me taste.” Juliet blinks up at him, expecting for him to take a taste from the same spoon she’d had - but instead, he drops his head towards her and presses his lips to hers, letting his tongue dart out for just a moment. When he pulls back, a very cheeky smile is written across his face - and a fierce blush is emerging on Juliet’s. “Hmm - I guess it could use a little more Sitrus Berry. You’re sure it doesn’t need any more Cheri Berry?”

“What? N-no!” Juliet squeaks. “It’s perfectly spicy as it is!”

“Fair enough. Wouldn’t want that flavor to overwhelm the others, right?” Leon smiles, then draws away from Juliet to fetch the Sitrus Berry Flakes. Juliet touches her lips absently as he moves, smiling a little to herself. That kiss had been so unexpected, but truthfully, that had made it only all the more enjoyable for her. “Would you like to do the honors?” Leon asks, handing her the jar of flakes. Juliet jumps a little, startled out of her thoughts, then smiles at her boyfriend and nods as she takes the jar.

Carefully, Juliet shakes in just the right amount, then takes the wooden spoon they’d been using to mix the pot. She takes in a deep inhale as she gives the contents a good stir, smiling a little to herself at the way the aromas immediately seem to come together better. If the mere smell of it is so improved, she’s certain the flavor will be all the more delicious, too.

“Here,” she says, grabbing the smaller metal spoon once more. “Why don’t you do the honors of taste testing this time?” She dips the utensil into the pot and holds it out to Leon, who leans down to take a careful nibble from it in much the same way she had. The sight is actually quite adorable, and Juliet can’t help but to giggle to herself.

“Those flakes did make a big difference,” Leon smiles. “You definitely made the right call.”

“Oh?” Juliet asks, setting the spoon down and smiling coyly. Before Leon realizes what’s going on, she stands on tippy toe, pulling Leon down into a quick kiss. As she pulls away, she tastes her lips. “You’re right,” she says, keeping one hand on Leon’s broad shoulder. “That does taste much better.”

“O-oh,” Leon stammers, then pulls at his collar, clearly flustered by the boldness of her move. “Well - I’m glad. How…how about we get our bowls ready, then, and we can go find something good to watch on TV?” He gives her a somewhat shy smile as he says the words, and Juliet can’t help but smile up at him.

She almost wants to steal a second kiss from him right then, but then decides to save it for later in the night. He might be expecting something now, after all.

“Sounds good,” Juliet smiles instead, pulling back from Leon and preparing to enjoy a very good meal.

* * *

“Should we just put on something on Pokeflix?” Juliet asks, then takes a bite of her curry. It’s every bit as delicious as she’d expected it would be. Unfortunately, the offerings on TV are sparse at the moment. 

“Maybe,” Leon sighs, then changes the channel yet again.

This time, they’re both greeted with a gigantic image of their own faces. That, in and of itself, isn’t anything new. They’re all that has been talked about on nearly every talk show, after all.

But what  _ is _ new is the fact that one of the talk show hosts frowns at the other.

“To me, these allegations cast  _ serious _ suspicion on Juliet as Leon’s partner,” she says.

“Suspicion?” The other host says, crossing her long legs. “If anything, it almost seems natural to me that Galar’s former Champion, Leon, would go for a partner who had been a former Champion herself.”

Juliet’s stomach drops out from underneath her, and she begins to cough, choking on her bite of curry.

The last time that her run as Champion had been so much as publicly mentioned -

Well, that had been a long time ago. So what is it doing, appearing all of a sudden now?

“Well,” the first talk show host says, touching her chin thoughtfully. “I suppose it’s not  _ just  _ the fact that she was Champion, once. To me, it’s more about that combined with the fact that she’s been abandoned by her family.”

All the blood drains out of Juliet’s face, and she hears a faint ringing in her ears. The curry bowl slips from her fingers, which feel suddenly weak, but fortunately, it doesn’t have far to go - it only comes to rest in her lap.

“Abandoned is a strong word,” the other host says. “Perhaps she’s more just….estranged?”

“Everything we’ve heard so far points specifically to abandonment,” the first host says, leaving no room for argument.

Juliet feels tears prickle at her eyes. That host’s words - they almost sound venomous. But why? Juliet doesn’t even  _ know _ her - she’s never even spoken to her before. Juliet knows she can’t expect everyone to be her fan, but for a woman to seemingly despise her so much…

It’s a lot to take in.

“So think about it. This woman is  _ clearly _ seeking Leon’s attention because of the glory and attention it’ll bring her,” the first host says, beginning to grow more animated the more she talks. “She’s lost her family and lost her Champion title - the easiest way for her to get right back to the top of the game is by clinging onto Leon’s coattails. If not as a competitor, then as his girlfriend, which is a pretty yikes thing to do -”

Before the woman can get another word out, the TV is powered down. Juliet tears her eyes away from the screen, surprised to find Leon on his feet. He’s clenching the TV remote, thumb on the power button, and even through her tears, Juliet can see the way his hand trembles in rage.

“How  _ dare _ they,” Leon says, his voice dangerously low. He repeats himself one more time, not moving an inch. “ _ How dare they _ .”

“Leon,” Juliet says, wiping her eyes quickly. He seems to snap out of his dazed fury at the sound of her voice, turning towards her and setting the remote down. “Please - try not to trouble yourself too much -”

“Juliet,” Leon says gently, taking the curry bowl from her lap and setting it aside on the table. Juliet wipes tears from her eyes yet again, though a moment later, Leon’s strong arms wrap around her, pulling her head against his shoulder. “Right now, you don’t need to worry about me. You need to let  _ me _ worry about _ you _ .”

As comforting as Leon’s embrace feels, his words still don’t quite sit right with Juliet.

“No - you’ve been through so much, and for you to have to hear someone say something like this about our relationship - none of it is fair,” she sniffles, pulling back. “The past is in the past, so you don’t need to worry about me. I promise,” she adds, doing her best to smile for him. Even with her best efforts, though, she can tell that her smile isn’t up to par. Her mouth wobbles and trembles, and the edges of her lips threaten to turn down as her emotions well up inside her. 

Whether she likes it or not, she’s just not prepared to hear someone dredge up her past - her very own personal life! - and try to use it as ammunition against her. And then to call her relationship with Leon - the man she loves - a “pretty yikes thing to do” -

Juliet feels her smile wobble further, and, finally overcome, she ducks her head down and hides her tears in Leon’s shoulder once more.

“Juliet,” Leon sighs, holding her close and rocking her back and forth just a little. “This accusation affects me somewhat, but it must be so much harder for you right now.” His words hit home. A sob tears its way from Juliet’s throat, and she feels anger rise up inside her - anger and shame. She has to be strong for Leon. He’s been through so much - there are so many people in the world who have been through worse than anything she’s ever gone through. But instead, here she is, crying.

To Juliet’s surprise, Leon pulls back a little, wiping the tears from her eyes gently with his thumb.

“Listen,” he murmurs quietly, curling his fingers under her chin. Tenderly, he raises her head so that her gaze meets his; Juliet blinks back tears for a moment, but then gasps, surprised by the smile on his face. “You told me once, not so long ago, that you would smile for me. That you wanted to give people who were going through hard times in their lives strength, by smiling for them. And you know what? I might have laughed a little the first time you said it, but time and time again - you have given me strength with your smile. So - Juliet - please,” he says, leaning in and pressing a light kiss to her forehead. “Please, this time, let me be your strength and your smile. And let me worry about you, and care for you.”

Juliet’s so surprised by his gesture and his words that she’s almost frozen still. She’s dimly aware that she can hear her own heartbeat rushing in her ears. For a moment, it almost feels like this can’t be real. Leon remembers that time she’d said that to him? And he’s really felt that she was his strength in the darkest of times? Maybe she’s just dreaming -

But Leon’s hand is warm on the back of her head, his muscular frame steady against her. This is happening - he’s here, with her, and he’ll face down this entire media frenzy with her. Juliet relaxes against him, but this time, she’s surprised to find that the tears that had been overflowing are suddenly gone. In fact, a smile pulls as her lips, and she laughs, shaking her head a little.

“Leon,” she says, holding to his shoulders. “I think your smile has already worked.”

“What?” Leon asks, pulling back to look at her. His eyebrows furrow a little at the sight of Juliet’s laughing face, and he admits, “I don’t understand. Why are you happy?”

“Because,” she smiles, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I could never hope for anything more than for you to stand by me through this. The strength you’ve offered me - I feel it already. And how could I not want to smile, knowing how much you care for me? So thank you, Leon.”

Leon chuckles a little at this, then swoops down to press a surprise kiss to Juliet’s lips. Juliet gasps and touches her lips, though the ghost of a smile pulls at her lips again as she realizes what he’s done.

“You’re welcome,” Leon murmurs. “Though….you know, this isn’t over yet. It’s not going to be easy, dealing with this. We’ll probably have people following us for nearly the rest of our lives, trying to use your past against us or say negative things about us.”

Juliet admittedly feels her heart sink at the thought, and she leans back into Leon’s muscular frame, holding him close.

“I know. I know that when we turn on that TV, that talk show will still be on, and those people will still be talking about us. And more shows and more people are going to start talking about my past, and more people will want to find dirt to dig up on me. Plus, I’m sure plenty of people will have comments for me about how my relationship with the man I literally fought for and love dearly is ‘a yikes thing’.” Juliet takes a somewhat shuddering breath, barely able to get over how vicious that snide summary really is. “But at the end of the day, I have you. And I have your strength, and when you need mine, I’ll be there to give it to you, too. So I know we can make it through this.”

“I’m glad you know that,” Leon murmurs, his arms squeezing her a little extra tightly. “But, you know…it’s also okay if you’re really upset about this right now. And it’s okay if you want to cry. It must be really hard, seeing this coming out of nowhere like that. An attack on your privacy, your personal history, and your relationship all at once - I can’t even imagine.”

“It…is really hard,” Juliet admits, shutting her eyes tightly. Tears once again prickle beneath her eyelids, and she takes another steadying breath. “I don’t know how they found out about my past like that. And I know I’ll probably never find out. But that’s not what hurts, you know? What hurts is that people who don’t even know me want to take my past and use it against me. And I know in a way that’s silly. I don’t even know them, so why should I care? But at the same time - of course I care, and of course it hurts. Because I don’t even know them, but they want to hurt me. Just because of who I am and what I’ve done.”

“And what you’ve got with me,” Leon adds. Then, moments later, he stammers, clearly flustered. “N-not that I’m trying to talk myself up, or anything! It’s - it’s just that with being the longest-running Champion, I’m - ah, you know - it’s -”

“You’re fine, Leon,” Juliet laughs, shaking her head as the tears spill out of her eyes once more. “I know you’re right. There’s a lot of women - and men - that would like to be with you the way I am, and they’ll gladly tear me down the first chance they get.”

“Exactly,” Leon agrees. “It’s a terrible thing to do, though. Instead of finding their own strength and learning to shine in their own way, they’re trying to take away someone else’s shine. But, Juliet? No matter how dark things get, and no matter how many people get jealous and want to take that sparkle away from you - I know you’ll always shine brightly. Lights like yours can’t be put out - and smiles like yours can’t be turned down for long.” Leon rubs Juliet’s back soothingly, and Juliet sniffles through her tears, still holding onto him tightly.

“Thank you, Leon. Truly,” she manages around little sobs.

“You’re welcome. Now - come here and get it all out. And when you’re ready, I’m going to go get you your favorite snacks and your favorite movie - and I’m going to call up some friends and make sure that the whole world knows just how much I disapprove of this new rumor going around.”

Juliet half-sobs, half-laughs against Leon’s shoulder, but nestles in closer to him all the same, feeling incredibly grateful to have a partner so willing to share both his strength and his kindness and compassion. This situation may not be easy to deal with - but there’s nobody she’d rather face it down together with more.

  
  



End file.
